Dull boy, dull knife.”
–Elmer Kelton (Llano River)
“But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish; A wooden idol is a worthless doctrine.”
–Jeremiah 10:8 (NKJV)
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3.7 — Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil.
.8 — It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones. (NKJV)
.7 — Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
.8 — It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. (ESV)
I used two versions because I liked the way the ESV used verse 8; the NASB is very similar. I know that at times my old bones feel weary, and the cold easily seems to seep into them. The idea of refreshing the bones, and I don’t mean artificial joint replacement, is soothing and novel.
Remember that this is a father giving instruction. Oh, how many times have I had to deal with “know-it-all” kids. Often they knew so much that they got themselves in trouble and hurt. A person who has this attitude about life is heading for trouble. The last verse of Judges tells us, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (21:25, NKJV) Then I think of King Uzziah who “sought God…and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper.” (2 Chronicles 26:5, NKJV) But then, he became too big for his britches. “But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the LORD his God by entering the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.” (2 Chronicles 26:16, NKJV) The priests withstood this irreverent king, verse 18, “…Get out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed! You shall have no honor from the LORD God.” (NKJV) Uzziah became furious, self-conceit maybe, “and while he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead…because the LORD had struck him.” (19, 20) A man who once served the Lord became lifted up, did not fear Him, and was then put to the point where he could no longer worship in the temple. “King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He dwelt in an isolated house, because he was a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD…” (26:21, NKJV) Did he repent? We are not told.
Three things we see in verse 7: don’t think you’re wiser than you are, fear the LORD, and depart from evil. We have first an exhortation to humility. Know this – that self-conceit is dangerous. This was a root charge against the Pharisees–they knew it all. Edward Plumptre warns us, “The greatest hindrance to all true wisdom is the thought that we have already attained it.” Add to that the smug attitude that if they don’t know it, “just Google it.” Listen–you can’t Google salvation!
Then we “fear the LORD,” for this is part of the whole duty of man. Fearing the Lord begins with knowledge of who God is. If a person is self-conceited they really don’t care to know who God is; that is, until it’s too late. We live in a time of mockery, apathy, and indifference to the Lord. I have often said that if the church really knew who God was that most of the problems in the church would disappear. J.L. Flores wrote, “A knowledge of the character and wisdom of God will produce reverence.” When this happens, “self-conceit cannot live where there are right views of God.” But do we really want to know who God is?
To truly know God puts us in our place and we most definitely would turn from evil. “If we honor the Lord, we will hate sin.” (Beasley) We would never dare to stand in the presence of an almighty God, if we knew Him, and mock Him. We would know Him in a better and true way. As Bob Beasley says, “God’s love always seeks what is best for us. Sin does not.” Sin is a plague, the bones ache, the body falters. Think of it this way, “Sin breaks the bones of a man’s spirit; the consciousness of the Divine favor which flows from a reverential walk with God makes them ‘to rejoice.'” David said, “Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice.” (Psalm 51:8, NKJV) He will heal, He will rejuvenate, He will bring refreshment. “Vice saps the health both of body and mind.” (Arnot) Oh, what a truth that is!
We need to let God begin to heal us and refresh our bones. We begin by knowing and fearing Him, then we hate the things He hates. Matthew Henry says, “The sorrow of the world dries them [bones], but hope and joy in God are marrow to them.” Someone describe this as muscles from “aching labor” and dried bones that bring “horrible despondency.” Know God, worship Him reverently and the Holy Spirit will refresh us, especially in the spiritual sense, but often physically as well. When the soul is healthy there is a good chance that the body will be also.
Therefore, don’t be haughty, don’t be a know-it-all, but recognize your place before the Lord. Honor Him properly and shun the vices, wickedness and evil of the world.
–Jeremiah 10:8 (NKJV)
——————————–
3.7 — Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil.
.8 — It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones. (NKJV)
.7 — Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
.8 — It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. (ESV)
I used two versions because I liked the way the ESV used verse 8; the NASB is very similar. I know that at times my old bones feel weary, and the cold easily seems to seep into them. The idea of refreshing the bones, and I don’t mean artificial joint replacement, is soothing and novel.
Remember that this is a father giving instruction. Oh, how many times have I had to deal with “know-it-all” kids. Often they knew so much that they got themselves in trouble and hurt. A person who has this attitude about life is heading for trouble. The last verse of Judges tells us, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (21:25, NKJV) Then I think of King Uzziah who “sought God…and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper.” (2 Chronicles 26:5, NKJV) But then, he became too big for his britches. “But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the LORD his God by entering the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.” (2 Chronicles 26:16, NKJV) The priests withstood this irreverent king, verse 18, “…Get out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed! You shall have no honor from the LORD God.” (NKJV) Uzziah became furious, self-conceit maybe, “and while he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead…because the LORD had struck him.” (19, 20) A man who once served the Lord became lifted up, did not fear Him, and was then put to the point where he could no longer worship in the temple. “King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He dwelt in an isolated house, because he was a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD…” (26:21, NKJV) Did he repent? We are not told.
Three things we see in verse 7: don’t think you’re wiser than you are, fear the LORD, and depart from evil. We have first an exhortation to humility. Know this – that self-conceit is dangerous. This was a root charge against the Pharisees–they knew it all. Edward Plumptre warns us, “The greatest hindrance to all true wisdom is the thought that we have already attained it.” Add to that the smug attitude that if they don’t know it, “just Google it.” Listen–you can’t Google salvation!
Then we “fear the LORD,” for this is part of the whole duty of man. Fearing the Lord begins with knowledge of who God is. If a person is self-conceited they really don’t care to know who God is; that is, until it’s too late. We live in a time of mockery, apathy, and indifference to the Lord. I have often said that if the church really knew who God was that most of the problems in the church would disappear. J.L. Flores wrote, “A knowledge of the character and wisdom of God will produce reverence.” When this happens, “self-conceit cannot live where there are right views of God.” But do we really want to know who God is?
To truly know God puts us in our place and we most definitely would turn from evil. “If we honor the Lord, we will hate sin.” (Beasley) We would never dare to stand in the presence of an almighty God, if we knew Him, and mock Him. We would know Him in a better and true way. As Bob Beasley says, “God’s love always seeks what is best for us. Sin does not.” Sin is a plague, the bones ache, the body falters. Think of it this way, “Sin breaks the bones of a man’s spirit; the consciousness of the Divine favor which flows from a reverential walk with God makes them ‘to rejoice.'” David said, “Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice.” (Psalm 51:8, NKJV) He will heal, He will rejuvenate, He will bring refreshment. “Vice saps the health both of body and mind.” (Arnot) Oh, what a truth that is!
We need to let God begin to heal us and refresh our bones. We begin by knowing and fearing Him, then we hate the things He hates. Matthew Henry says, “The sorrow of the world dries them [bones], but hope and joy in God are marrow to them.” Someone describe this as muscles from “aching labor” and dried bones that bring “horrible despondency.” Know God, worship Him reverently and the Holy Spirit will refresh us, especially in the spiritual sense, but often physically as well. When the soul is healthy there is a good chance that the body will be also.
Therefore, don’t be haughty, don’t be a know-it-all, but recognize your place before the Lord. Honor Him properly and shun the vices, wickedness and evil of the world.